Knight of Remnant
by YDdraigGoch94
Summary: Myths. Magic. Warriors of legend. Reading about it is fascinating, but living it? That's a different kettle of fish. Of course, I didn't have much choice in the matter, I was conscripted. None of that really mattered though. The man I was no longer had any consequence. The man I could become, did. My name is now Jaune Arc. And this is my story. (Self-Insert)
1. Welcome to Remnant

**Knight of Remnant**

* * *

Light. Pure white light. Or maybe not light. Just, vast emptiness. I couldn't even see the horizon. It was impossible to tell where floor became ceiling. I couldn't even tell if I was in a room or not. It was really screwing with my spatial awareness.

Suddenly, my vision shifted, and I found myself standing in some tract of land in the middle of nowhere. It was night time, but a clear sky allowed for moonlight to illuminate my surroundings. It was when I looked up that I realised things were wrong. For one, the moon was about four times larger than usual. I mean, I know super-moons are a thing, but that behemoth took the cake. Oh yeah, and it was friggin' shattered! Like, a huge chunk was missing and smaller fragments were floating in the hole!

"I see you realise that you aren't where you should be," a voice said from behind me.

I pivoted on my feet and turned to face the owner of the voice. And just when I thought I couldn't be surprised any more, I found my jaw dropping. Before me stood what could only be described as an outline of a man. The space where a normal body should have been was instead filled with orange-white light. Strangely, the light neither burned nor blinded me, but still extruded a warmth that was comforting. Enough so that any nascent panic attack by me was immediately squashed under a veil of calm.

"So...Shattered moon...Remnant," I began, my thoughts running a mile a minute. "And a strange glowing man...The Elder Brother? Huh...Neat. Is this where you ask me to help deal with Salem?"

"You figured that out fairly quickly," the Elder Brother dryly remarked. I got the feeling that if he had eyebrows, they would be quirked in bemusement.

"I've read over a dozen or so self-insert fanfics. I know how this goes," I dismissively waved a hand. "Hell, if multi-verse theory is true, then alternate iteration of myself is probably writing this, whatever _this_ is, as one!"

"I see," the Elder Brother said. "Then this is easier than I hoped. I had expected to waste time convincing you. That you seem to be aware of why I brought you here is fortuitous."

"I'm not dead am I?" Because if I was, I was more likely to flip my shit.

"Of course not! I am a God of Life! I would sooner kill myself than rip someone's soul from their body!" the Elder Brother angrily retorted. "I simply took an imprint of your consciousness. The knowledge you possess is key to defeating Salem!"

"Woah, okay. Cool your jets," I said, holding my palms up in surrender. "Why me, though? I'm sure there were others just as capable."

"There were," the Elder Brother agreed, calming down. "I simply chose you on...Well, not on a whim, but rather because I asked myself ' _Why not_ '."

"So...I'm not a special snowflake. Good to know," I commented. I wasn't bitter, but it was a little weird. "What does that mean, then? Am I just a copy? A fake?"

"Not at all!" the Elder Brother assured. "When all is said and done, you have the choice of returning to Earth. Or staying in Remnant. The choice is yours. You are you. No one else."

"Huh, poetic. Alright, fine, whatever. But how am I supposed to stop Salem? I mean, you are aware that show from which I learnt everything is still ongoing, aren't you? There's only so much I know!" I exclaimed, getting more than a little agitated.

"What you _can_ do is enough to make the difference," the Elder Brother explained. "Salem cannot get the Fall Maiden powers. Vale cannot succumb to despair. The Kingdoms cannot isolate themselves, lest they be picked off, one by one. If you can avoid that, then the fight against Salem will be all the easier."

"No pressure then..." I sighed. "But...I'm just me. I've had no training in a Huntman academy. No awakened Aura, and no Semblance!"

"True. But you can get better," the Elder Brother said. "After all, one just like you did."

"One just like who...Oh...Oh, no. No...no...nonononono!" I yelled. "I am **not** becoming Jaune Arc."

"I'm afraid there is no other way," the Elder Brother, in an apologetic, yet amused, tone. "Give my regards to Ozpin, would you?"

"Hey wai-"

* * *

The sudden nausea that came from being spatially displaced was immediately swallowed. The last thing I wanted was to puke my guts out. Then came to sudden, and cripplingly painful, headache induced by Jaune's memories becoming my own. A few moments later, and the pain subsided. After taking a moment to centre myself, I then took in my surroundings. It was quite the sight to behold. Evidently, I had taken host of Jaune's body _after_ the landing of the airship. Which meant that I had a stellar view of seeing Beacon Academy from the front.

"And here I thought Harvard was impressive," I muttered. Not that I actually studied there, but that one trip I took during a holiday left an impression. "Hold on, this is when Ruby nearly gets blown up by Weiss. I better go see if I can head that off."

While I knew Weiss got better come Volume 4, her initial attitude at the beginning left a lot to be desired. Hopefully, I could break her of her ill-conceived notions earlier. With that in mind, I sped up the path leading to Beacon. While I did so, my hand idly rested on the pommel Jaune's sword. I knew a bit of fencing, but not enough to really survive Grimm. I needed training. Fast and hard training. Which meant professional help, and the only person I knew would be able to was Ozpin. I figured if the Elder Brother wanted me to give his regards, then it was tacit permission to bring Ozpin into my situation. I knew Oz could fight, if his moves when he possessed Oscar was anything to go by.

Soon enough, I managed to get to where Ruby and Weiss had their first meeting. Fortunately, I had got there just as the Schnee heiress started to wave around a bottle of red dust. Fire, Jaune's memories helpfully supplied. Seeing that Weiss was about to inadvertently cause a Dust-induced explosion, I ran up and gently grasped Weiss by her wrist.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," I cautioned. "Your bottle isn't properly secure, and I doubt you'd want to be responsible, if partly, to a Dust accident."

My timely interruption had awarded me the sight of the proud Schnee Heiress giving the perfect impression of a fish out of water. A surreptitious glance towards the fallen Ruby allowed me to see the look of gratitude tinged with confusion. Turning towards Weiss, once more, I was faced with Angry Weiss.

"Unhand me, cretin!" she yelled, viciously pulling her arm from my grip. "Do you have any idea who I am?"

"Sure I do," I replied, smirking slightly. "Middle child and second daughter of Jacques Schnee né Gelè. And heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, after the eldest child, Winter Schnee, decided to discard her title as heiress in favour of becoming a Specialist in Atlas' military."

Weiss looked surprised at how much I actually knew. Inwardly, I cursed at revealing my hand so early, but I guess I would have to run with it.

"W-Well, good! If you know who I am, then you should know not to manhandle me like that," Weiss haughtily declared.

"Hey, it wasn't me who waved around an improperly sealed bottle of Dust, Snowflake," I shrugged. "One would think the SDC heiress would know the dangers of that."

Turning around, I found that Ruby was still on the floor, looking adorably confused. Holding out a hand, I helped her up on to her feet. Upon seeing her glance over my shoulder, I spun on my feet to see Angry Weiss evolving into Furious Weiss.

"You're still here?" I asked, frowning. "Um...This is where you huff, flip your hair over your shoulder and walk away with a proud strut."

Fortunately for everyone involved, because I wasn't sure what else I could have done to diffuse the situation, Weiss proceeded to do just that. Which left me and Ruby alone.

"Huh, she pulls off strutting really well," I remarked, as I watched Weiss go.

"Yeah..." Ruby agreed, before coughing awkwardly.

"Oh! Where are my manners! I'm S-Jaune! Jaune Arc!" I said slightly stuttering when I nearly said my real name. "Sorry about that."

"No! It's fine! Oh, and I'm Ruby Rose! Pleased to meet you!" Ruby assured, looking panicky. "I need to thank you for helping me out there! I thought that crabby girl was about to eat me!"

"...Eat you?"

"I might have happened!" Ruby sulked. "Hey...Aren't you the guy who threw up on the ship."

' _Damn it_ ,' I cursed. Out loud I replied, "Yes. But only because I sometimes get travel sickness! Especially when I read!"

"Oh, okay," Ruby shrugged, letting it go, much to my satisfaction. "Um. Do you know which way we're supposed to go?"

"I think it's this way," I said, pointing towards where the memorial statue was.

"You think?"

"Well, it's where I saw the other students going," I pointed out. "Maybe we'll find someone who can give us directions."

As we walked down the path towards where the memorial fountain was, Ruby suddenly broke the silence that was getting slightly awkward.

"So...I got this thing?" she said, bringing out Crescent Rose. The show really didn't do it justice. Which was fair enough, considering it was an animation. But the intricate detail of the sniper-scythe was breath taking.

"Is that...A scythe?" I asked, in an awed tone.

"It's also a customisable high-impact sniper rifle," Ruby explained, pulling the trigger that emptied the chamber.

"That's so cool," I said, not even faking how impressed I was. "I guess you built it yourself?"

"Yep!" Ruby chirped, balancing on the balls of her feet. "I built it during my first year at Signal."

"Huh...Well, now I'm all intimidated, now," I smiled in jest. "All I have is this sword that's something of a family heirloom."

I pulled out Crocea Mors from its sheath, which I then transformed into shield mode. Upon holding the sword, I realised that unless I modified it some, it really didn't suit me. For starters, the grip felt weird to hold. And the shield wasn't in a shape that I wanted.

"Oh, what does it do?" Ruby asked, getting excited.

I suppressed a grin before answering. "It's nothing fancy, Ruby," I told her. "Just an old shield and sword that my great-great-grandfather used during the Great War. I'm not all that good at weapon-smithing."

"Oh...Well, I'm a bit of a dork when it comes to weapons," Ruby explained, while laughing hesitantly. "I guess I did go a little overboard when I designed it.

"But I like yours!" she then blurted out, looking surprised as I did when she did so. "I mean, not enough people appreciate the classics anymore, so..."

I smiled easily as I replied, "I appreciate that, Ruby. But I think I'm gonna need weapons of my own design if I wanna make it as a huntsman." I then rubbed my chin in thought. "Maybe you could help me design them?"

"Wait...You want _me_ to help you make your weapons?" Ruby asked, looking giddy at the thought.

"Well...Yeah. If you made that behemoth, then clearly I'm asking the right girl," I replied, finding Ruby's expression a little disconcerting.

Ruby suddenly squealed before blabbering about materials, designs, and mechanisms that I couldn't even make heads or tails of. After about thirty seconds of listening to Ruby, I realised that she wasn't going to stop.

"Okay, okay! You're a genius at weapons designing! I got it!" I quickly interrupted. "We gotta go, though. Initiation is about to begin."

"Ah...Right," Ruby nodded, sheepishly rubbing the back of her neck. "So...Why'd you help me back there? In the courtyard?"

"Why not?" I asked back, slightly puzzled. "You looked like you needed it, and I'm always up for making new friends."

"Ah...Right."

We then fell into another companionable silence, as we headed towards where Ozpin would make his address to the prospective students. Eventually, we arrived, clearly being the lasts ones there. Fortunately, we weren't late.

"Ruby! Over here!" a voice called out from across the way. Ruby and I both turned to its source, I had had the pleasure of seeing Yang Xiao Long for the first time. She was hot. That, I freely admitted to myself.

"Oh, hey, that's my sister," Ruby said. She looked indecisive for a moment before continuing. "Would you like to meet her?"

"Why not?" I shrugged, though inwardly I realised a deviance from canon. Maybe Ruby found Jaune too awkward to introduce her to Yang, in canon.

"Great! Come on!" she said, speeding towards Yang. I ambled over while idly spotting people like Ren, Nora, and members of CRDL. Of course, the show had made silhouettes of everyone else in Volume 1, so I didn't recognise the vast majority.

"How's your first day going, little sister?" I heard Yang ask, upon reaching the sisters. She then noticed me and raised an eyebrow. "Who's this?"

"This is Jaune," Ruby introduced, sounding confident all of a sudden. "After you ditched me, I nearly got yelled at by this crabby girl. Jaune helped me by stopping her and getting her to leave."

"Is that right?" Yang drawled, turning to me. She had an expression that I could only describe as one a cat might have when about to pounce on a canary. "So Vomit Boy played the hero?"

I groaned at the 'nickname'. So much for that not being a thing.

"Yaaaaaang, don't be rude!" Ruby whined, kicking her sister in the shin. "You told me to make my own friends!"

"Right, right," Yang relented, waving away her sister's protests. She then held out a hand. "Nice to meet you, Jauney."

"...I suppose that's better than Vomit Boy," I sighed. I made to take the offered hand, only to realise that I hadn't activated my Aura and thus was open to getting my hand crushed by Yang. Realising there was only one way out, I instead took Yang's hand into my own and bowed slightly to kiss the back of the blonde's palm. When I stood back up, I was rewarded with the sight of Yang blushing furiously and looking incredibly flustered.

' _Huh, I didn't think that was all it took_ ,' I thought. Ruby, however, giggled. Probably because she had never seen her sister in such a way. Catching her eye, I grinned before quirking an eyebrow. Weiss was standing right behind her. When I made eye contact her, she simply huffed and strode off to stand a short distance away.

By this point, Yang had recomposed herself. She looked ticked off, but her Semblance wasn't active, so I took that as I good sign. But when she began to speak, the lights dimmed and a spotlight shone on the stage.

"This isn't over," Yang hissed, poking me in the chest.

"It never is," I muttered, turning to where Ozpin was now standing.

"I'll keep this brief," the immortal headmaster began. "You have travelled here, today, in search of knowledge. To hone your craft and acquire new skills. And when you have finished, you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of the people. But I look amongst you, and all I see is wasted energy in need of purpose, direction."

I frowned at that. It had been a while since I watched Volume 1, so I forgot how...Blunt Ozpin was. It did make sense though. The students weren't there for shits and giggles.

"You assume knowledge will free you of this," Ozpin continued, "But your time a this school will prove that knowledge can only carry you so far. It is up to you to take the first step."

Oz then stood to the side, as Goodwitch stepped up to the mike.

"You will stay here in the ballroom tonight," the Deputy Headmistress said. "Tomorrow, you will all undergo initiation, so be ready. You are dismissed."

"He seemed almost...off," Yang remarked.

"Yeah...It was almost like he wasn't even really there," Ruby nodded.

I knew better. Sort of. Ozpin's mind was no doubt fixed on the shadow game of chess he was playing with Salem. Which reminded me, I ought to get the inevitable conversation over with as soon as possible.

"I'll find you guys later," I said, heading towards were I saw Ozpin go. "I gotta...Erm...I gotta go to the bathroom!"

"Hey, I wasn't done with you!" Yang yelled.

"Sorryseeyoulaterbye!"

* * *

As I left the sisters behind, I pondered over what I was going to tell Ozpin. I mean, I knew the man had the ability to think in abstract. But my tale took the cake. That said, I could have kept it to myself. I mean, Shikako did, and she managed a lot of wholesale changes. Cross managed it for all of a few weeks before blurting it out in an illness induced ramble. But having the crew know of his circumstances enabled him to make _massive_ changes. Unfortunately, I was brought out of my thoughts due to being found by Goodwitch.

"Mr...Arc? Yes, Jaune Arc. Why are you here and not with the rest of the students?" she demanded, looking stern.

"Um...I need to speak to Headmaster Ozpin. It's important?" I tried, despite my nervousness.

It clearly didn't work, as Goodwitch's eyes narrowed.

"Whatever it is, I'm sure it can wait until _after_ initiation," she said, gesturing for me to turn back.

"No, wait! This is bigger than me being at Beacon! It...I..." I stumbled over what to say. I wasn't really sure how much the professors at Beacon knew regarding Ozpin's plans and motives. "I...This is to do with the girl downstairs! With half of her missing!"

Whatever Goodwitch was about to say next was swallowed up by her splutters. I had made a gamble in referring to the broken Fall Maiden, and it seemed to have paid off.

"Come with me," Goodwitch said sternly, leaving no room for me to argue.

"Yes, ma'am."

A short walk and a frustratingly long lift ride later, and I was brought to the Ozpin's office. Said man was standing by the window, gazing out to the view while sipping from his mug. He then turned around and looked to the both of us, barely showing any surprise at the visit.

"Glynda? And...Mister Arc? What brings you here?" he politely enquired.

"I...Well..." I wasn't really sure where to begin, so I turned to Goodwitch in hope that she'd at least open the discussion and thus give me more time. Not that I had such luck, as she merely lifted an eyebrow at me. I sighed before continuing. "The Elder Brother sends his regards."

 _THUNK_

Normally, I'd be pretty thrilled that I managed to shock the normally unflappable Ozpin, but given the circumstances, I didn't think I could.

"What did you say?" the immortal whispered.

"Um..." I glanced back at Goodwitch, hoping Ozpin would catch on.

He did. "Whatever you have to say can be said in front of Glynda. She knows everything pertinent to my past," Ozpin explained, sounding incredibly serious. Which, I suppose, the situation was.

"Even the exact nature and circumstances of your curse?" I checked, just wanting to be sure.

"Even that. Please, Mister Arc, tell us your tale," Ozpin insisted.

"Alright...Well, like I said, the Elder Brother sends his regards," I began, mulling over my thoughts. "I'm your...I'm your wild card against Salem."

"I see...I had thought they had removed themselves from the world. Leaving it my duty to fix my mistake," Ozpin said, with a faraway expression.

"I don't know about that. Just that I'm supposed to help you," I said, clenching and relaxing my hands. "I...I have information. On Salem's immediate plans. The names of her pawns. I...I know the identity of the Spring Maiden. There's a lot I have to share."

"Indeed? Then tell us," Ozpin encouraged.

"The woman who stole half of the Fall Maiden powers is called Cinder Fall," I revealed before turning to the thus far silent Goodwitch. "She...She was the woman in the VTOL that prevented you from capturing Torchwick the night you met Ruby."

The blonde teacher raised her eyebrows in surprise at my knowledge, though I didn't wait for a reply as I turned back to face Ozpin.

"She'll come to Beacon disguised as a student from Haven, during the Vytal Festival," I went on. "Along with two others; Emerald Sustrai and Mercury Black. The latter is the son of the assassin Marcus Black."

"I see...I shall have to alert Leonardo," Ozin commented, having picked up his mug.

"No, wait. The Headmaster of Haven has betrayed you!" I interjected. "Or at least, he's in touch with Arthur Watts, who's another one of Salem's pawns!"

"That's absurd!" Goodwitch shouted, causing me to flinch in surprise, "Ozpin you cannot be seriously considering that this...this _boy_ knows as much as he claims! He-"

"Glynda, enough," Ozpin interrupted, his gaze never leaving me. He then sighed. "Mister Arc, do you have anything that might prove your claims?"

"I...Not hard evidence, but...I do know things that I really shouldn't. Will that...Will that convince you?" I asked. This was really not how I wanted this conversation to go.

"Go on," Ozpin nodded.

"I...You're the hermit in the Story of the Seasons," I began, closing my eyes in thought. "You were cursed with immortality by the two brothers for failing to stop Salem the first time. So, every time you die, your soul is latched onto a younger, like-minded individual. That sticks until both consciousnesses are combined into one.

"You also gave the Branwen siblings their ability to shape-shift into birds, though Raven abandoned your cause to return to her bandit tribe," I went on. "Your group includes Qrow Branwen, James Ironwood, Professor Goodwitch, and I'm guessing the Headmaster of Shade. Like I said, Lionheart will betray you to Salem."

I paused here, to catch my breath and consider what I would say next. Recalling Ruby, I decided that the Silver-eyed Warriors might be my trump card.

"Ruby has silver eyes. The same silver eyes that Grimm are afraid of," I finished. Not really having anything else to show, I opened my eyes. Only to find Ozpin's cane-gun pointed directly at my face. "W-w-w-w-wait a minute! Please don't kill me! I'm on your side! I-"

Ozpin then lowered his cane. Once he did so, whatever tension was in my body unwound and I found myself flat on my arse.

"I am sorry, Mister Arc," Ozpin apologised. "But I had to be certain. Very few are aware of the Silver-Eyed Warriors."

"I-It's...It's fine," I breathed, feeling the years being sheared off my lifespan.

"Now...As much I am glad to have gained something of an upper hand against Salem, you have neglected to tell us the source of your information," Ozpin stated, having sat down at his desk by that point.

"Um...I don't think you'd even believe me," I said, getting up from floor.

"I have believed you thus far, Mister Arc. Try me," Ozpin assured.

"Well, it's kinda ironic, because my circumstances aren't that dissimilar to yours, Headmaster," I began, laughing a little nervously. "I...I'm the fragment of a soul belonging to another individual from an alternate universe that has possessed Jaune Arc."

Silence.

"What." Ozpin and Goodwitch both uttered.

"Um...Yeah, I'm not really Jaune Arc. I mean, I have most of his memories, but I'm not him," I explained. "My real self is currently in another universe. Where the world of Remnant, and the war against Salem, is the subject of a fictional show."

"I...See."

"Ozpin, you _cannot_ be serious!" Goodwitch protested, "This-"

"Glynda, if Mister Arc wanted to come up with a lie, he would have used something less ridiculous that he just said. Therefore, not matter how outlandish it might sound, it must be true."

"I...Fine, Headmaster."

Ozpin then turned back to me and asked, "Presumably, you are aware of the exact circumstances of Mister Arc's application form, Mister...Ah?"

"For the sake of simplicity, I'll just go by Jaune Arc," I said. "And yeah, I do."

"Indeed? Then it would make sense for you to attend supplementary combat classes," Ozpin reasoned. "Every Tuesday and Friday evening, you shall be taught, privately, by either myself or Professor Goodwitch."

"Right. Thanks, I...I need those," I quietly admitted.

"So...What now, Mr Arc?"

"Now?" I echoed, not a little confused by the question. "I guess now I go back to the hall and rest before initiation tomorrow."

"Very well then," Ozpin nodded. "While we will be revisiting the topic of this conversation at a later date, for now you may go."

I turned to leave, but paused when something occurred to me.

"Ah...Wait, there's one more thing," I said, sheepishly rubbing the back of my head.

"Oh?"

"Yeah...Could you maybe unlock my Aura? Please?"

* * *

By the time I had returned, it was dark. The hall had been temporarily converted into a makeshift dormitory. I had been given my own sleeping bag, and had asked for an alternative sleeping ware; I refused to wear the onesie Jaune had brought with him out of sheer principle. Wearing that monstrosity was just asking for the likes of Cardin to target me for their bullying.

"Hey, Jauney! Over here!"

' _And there is the sound of a gorgeous woman calling for me_ ,' I thought to myself, ' _Why didn't shit like that happen to Original Me? Oh, wait I know. I was normal_.'

Taking care not to accidentally step on someone, I made my way across to where the sisters were. Back when I first saw RWBY, I had assumed that the teenagers were segregated by gender. Evidently, that wasn't the case, as boys and girls mingled together. Though I did spot some staff, and maybe second and third year students, chaperoning us all.

"Jeez, Jauney. How long does it take to take a whizz?" Yang asked, rather crudely. "D'you take a Number 2, or something?"

"Not all that long actually. And no, Yang. I did not. I just got sidetracked, is all," I replied, skirting around the fact that I didn't actually go to the toilet. "What's Ruby doing?"

Said girl was in the middle of writing what appeared to be a couple of letters, a few of which looked finished.

"Oh, I'm just writing a letter to my friends back at Signal," Ruby explained, resting her cheek on her right palm.

' _Huh, I had never noticed that Ruby was left handed_ ,' I thought to myself. ' _That's kinda neat. Diversity and all that_.'

"I promised that I'd tell them all about Beacon and how things are going," she went on, smiling a bit.

"Aw, that's so cute~!" Yang exclaimed, grinning. This, just as I remembered, earned the blonde a pillow to the face. I snorted at the dumbfound look look on Yang's face as she got up.

"Shut up!" Ruby retorted, frowning in irritation. "I didn't get to take my friends with me to school. It's weird not knowing anyone here."

"Wow, Ruby. Tell me how you really feel," I deadpanned, swallowing a smirk. No need to press down on Ruby's insecurities.

"No! Wait! I didn't mean it like!" Ruby hastily amended. "What I meant was that I still have friends at Signal who I want to stay in touch with! I wasn't saying that I didn't want to know you! Honest!"

"Ruby, relax! I know what you meant," I reassured, holding my hands up in apology. "I was just kidding."

"Oh...Okay then...Meanie!"

"Besides, Ruby. It's only been one day," Yang chimed. "Trust me, you've got friends all around you. You just haven't met them yet."

"That sounds like something my mum would say," I snorted, smiling slightly.

"Huh?" Yang turned to me with a puzzled expression on her face that I could only describe as cute.

"' _Strangers are just friends you haven't met yet_ '," I quoted. "Basically, every friend you make starts out as someone you don't know yet. Like me."

"I guess..." Ruby still looked somewhat dubious, but her spirits seemed to have lifted somewhat.

"Anyway, we should turn in for the night," I suggested. "We'll probably need full night's rest for initiation tomorrow."

"Okay," Ruby nodded, putting away her letter.

"Sure...Say, Jauney...You gonna show some more skin?" Yang asked, in a more sultry tone.

Despite having never been on the receiving end of flirts, I'd like to think I did well in keeping as calm as I did.

"Sorry Yang. No lien, no show," I answered, with small smile. Though judging by the rush of blood to my face, I was pretty sure that I was blushing hard. And judging my the smirk on Yang's face, I was.

"So there _is_ a chance?"

I rolled my eyes. " _Goodnight_ , Yang."

"...Spoilsport."

* * *

 **Authors Note** : So yeah...Another story. Sorry to all my fans of The Travels of the Master of Death, but I've just lost motivation for a Song of Ice and Fire. I'm not giving up on it, but until I get some stroke of inspiration, that's on a hiatus.

Anyway, this is both my first self-insert and RWBY fanfic. I've always wanted to try both, and figured that I ought to kill two bird with one stone. Jaune seemed like the best fit for an SI, 'cause then I wouldn't have the whole _Wish Fulfilment_ aspect of inherited skill via memory dump. At least with Jaune, SI!me can grow into himself.

So, if this gets some love, then I'll be continuing with it. Otherwise, it'll just get consigned to the failed projects pile.


	2. First Steps

**Knight of Remnant**

* * *

The following morning came sooner than I expected. Of course, I had a habit of waking early, but the large windows of the ballroom served as a natural alarm clock; it was difficult to stay asleep when you have bright sunlight shining upon your face.

"Well, lets hope I can survive initiation," I mumbled, while stretch my arms. I then idly glanced to my side and found the most adorable sight I've ever seen. And I've seen my fair share. Ruby had somehow managed to liberate herself from her sleeping bag and crawl into Yang's. The end result was Ruby being cuddled by Yang, the latter of which positing herself in a protective cocoon.

Not having the heart to wake them, I instead opted to head towards the bathroom and freshen up. Hopefully, I might be able to catch the rest of JNPR, and Blake too. At least, I ought to make a somewhat decent first impression. Hopefully, whatever mystical powers the Elder Brother possessed would ensure that RWBY and JNPR would form as it did in canon. Which required me to impress Pyrrha with my general apathy towards fame. Not that it would prove difficult. The redhead was both likable and had a distinct aversion of her fame, which I found admirable.

Upon reaching the lunch hall, where breakfast was provided, I managed to spot Nora and Ren in the middle of eating pancakes. Deciding that it was as good an opportunity as any, I collected my own food, and made my way over to join then.

"This spot empty?" I asked, gesturing towards the open seat across the pair.

"Not at all. Please," Ren invited. Smiling gratefully, I sat down and cut myself a piece of watermelon.

"I'm Jaune Arc. Nice to meet you both," I introduced, offering a polite nod. I then took a bite of the watermelon. 'Hm, this is sweeter than I'm used too.'

"Lie Ren," the stoic teen replied. "Please call me Ren. This is my friend Nora Valkyie."

"Just friends, by the way! We've been friends for _soooo_ long, it's actually surprising we're still together. Well...Not together together, y'know?," the orange-haired girl chimed. "Not that Ren isn't handsome, he is handsome, but that'd just be weird," she added, backtracking a little.

"Nice lung capacity," I joked, leaning back slightly. ' _Cripes she didn't even pause to breathe in all that_.'

"Thanks!" Nora chirped, nonplussed at my unease. "I practice a lot."

Deciding that heading down that line of thought would be fraught with madness, I opted to change the subject.

"So, I'm guessing you both will want to stay on the same team?" I hedged, trying to make conversation. I mean, I knew the truth, but if I didn't want to get caught out by referring to knowledge I shouldn't have known, then I had to ensure that it was told to me by the relevant people.

"It would expedite team cohesiveness," Ren responded. "Nora and I will not be unwelcoming to two new students upon forming a team. We would just prefer to stay together when meeting our future teammates."

I hummed thoughtfully before replying. "Makes sense. After all, we'll be rooming with our future teammates for the next three years. You'd want to at least be with people you're comfortable with," I said.

Ren nodded as Nora suddenly spoke. "Oh, oh! Ren, I've got an amazing idea for making sure we can find each other!" she burst out. "We can use a sloth's call!"

I blinked in surprise as Ren sighed in fond exasperation.

"Um...Nora?" I gently began. "Sloths are too lazy to generally make a noise. Maybe you want a bird's call instead?"

"But that's booooring," Nora complained, pouting ever so slightly.

Hm, I better think out of the box here. "Well, because it's so boring, no one will think to do it. So by doing a bird call, you're being unique," I offered. Hopefully the reverse psychology would pay off here, because Ren looked just about done, even if he indulged Nora more than most.

Said girl frowned in thought, evidently contemplating my suggestion. After a moment, she bobbed her head in agreement. "Jaune-Jaune's right! We should totally use a bird call!"

"Yes, Nora."

"Oh! Oh! And the cry can be 'Ka-Kaaaa, Ka-Kaaaaaaa'!" she continued, not even hearing Ren's acknowledgement.

"Yes, Nora."

"Good," Nora nodded, looking incredibly pleased with herself.

"Well...It's been a pleasure to meet you guys," I chuckled, clearing up my tray. "I'll see you at Initiation? I'm heading to the lockers after I go find some friends of mine."

"Sure thing! See ya later, Jaune-Jaune," Nora said, waving almost obnoxiously but grinning all the while.

Ren merely inclined his head, which for him was pretty expressive. Sidestepping Winchester, who was hardly paying attention to where he was going, I made my way over to where the locker rooms were.

* * *

"Seriously! What kind of ass decides to put numbers on lockers and not put them in numerical order!" I complained, aimlessly attempting to find where Crocea Mors was stored. "I mean, it's like they _want_ us to use the rocket function every time..."

I wasn't even speaking in hyperbole. The place was organised in a mess. Sure, groups of fifty were organised together, but that's as far as it went. Where lockers 1-49 would be in one area, the adjacent area would be 550-599. It was maddening. So much so that in my rush to find my weapons I ended up colliding hard with someone and landed squarely on my arse.

' _Please don't be Cardin_ ,' I inwardly pleaded. The last thing I wanted was to earn his ire.

"Are you okay?" a soft, female voice asked.

Looking up, I found myself meeting a distinct set of yellow eyes. Eyes belonging to Blake Belladona. She had a look of slight irritation at being bumped into, but thankfully didn't seem to want to yell at me. Unlike what would have happened if I had bumped into Weiss.

"Yeah, I'm good," I replied, getting up and patting the dust off of myself. "Sorry about that, searching for my locker is proving...troublesome."

"Your locker should be tied to your Scroll," the faunus hiding in plain sight told me. "There is an app that will lead you to yours."

Huh. I'm guessing a Scroll number would have been on the application form for Beacon. Which woul explain why I didn't immediately know the particulars of what Jaune filled in. His memories were still a bit garbled in my mind. Which raised the issue of how memories were stored in the brain. But I was digressing.

"Thanks," I said, offering a hand. "I'm Jaune."

"Blake," she replied, shaking my hand.

With that, I had met the entire Team RWBY. All that was left was to meet Pyrrha and hope the Elder God is willing to keep her my partner. She had yet to enter the locker rooms, so I was left with Blake was a little while longer. Fortunately, Ruby and Yang had entered, and I had an opportunity to try and make their bond a bit stronger much earlier. Hopefully I could prevent Blake from running away when she inevitably outs herself as a faunus.

"Hey! Ruby, Yang! Over here!" I beckoned. Upon hearing my voice, both sisters turned towards where I was stood and came over. "Good morning."

"Mornin' Jauney," Yang said, grinning. "Did we scare you off?"

I snorted, "Hardly. Just didn't have the heart to break the cute scene. Pity I didn't take a picture..."

"If you had, I'd have had to kill ya. Anyway, who's this?" Yang gestured to the thus far silent Blake.

"Oh, this is Blake. Blake these are Yang and her sister Ruby," I introduced. Suddenly inspired, I grasped the blonde by the elbow, and led her away. "Actually, Yang I need your help with something. We'll be right back, you two," I added to the R and B of RWBY.

Without waiting for them to respond, I swiftly led Yang towards a section of the locker rooms I hadn't searched yet.

"What was that all about?" Yang asked. Or more like demanded, judging by the expression on her face.

"Hey, you wanted Ruby to make more friends!" I said, holding my hands up in surrender. Ruby and Blake both needed friends. And I was nothing if not a proponent for Ladybug. But I wasn't going to tell Yang that. I valued my life.

"Oh...Right. I guess that's cool," Yang admitted. "But why're we here?"

"My locker's here," I told her, before getting Crocea Mors and belting it. "C'mon, let's go see if anyone else is around?"

"Sure," Yang shrugged, have already put Ember Celica in its inactive form on.

The pair of us then walked towards where the exist was. The lockers were mostly empty, as it wasn't long before Initiation began. However, we did come across a rather amusing sight.

"So, Pyrrha. Have you given any thought about who you want to be on your team?" Weiss asked, trying not to sound interested. "I'm sure _everyone_ must be eager to partner with such a strong, well known person such as yourself."

I really couldn't help it. My inner troll was rearing its head, and I hoped Yang would play along.

"Now observe the proud yet haughty Weiss Schnee attempt to integrate itself with the valourous Pyrrha Nikos," I narrated, affecting my best David Attenborough impression. "The subtle compliments seem to be the main technique of choice."

"However, Pyrrha appears to not be receptive to the advances from Weiss, but the former appears unsure as to how to delicately led down the latter," Yang immediately followed up.

I barely managed to suppress a snort. This woman was after my own heart! Unfortunately, our fun was at and end as both Pyrrha and Weiss overheard us.

"You again!" Weiss yelled, pointing at me. "Are you stalking me?"

"Pfft, get over yourself Snowflake," I replied. "You don't mean _that_ much to me."

"Tch...And where is that clumsy friend of yours," Weiss snootily demanded. "I need to be able to avoid her."

"You won't have to worry about that," I dryly responded. "I think you've scarred her for life."

"...Well good," the heiress huffed.

"Who's this?" Yang asked, a little put out. I wasn't really sure why.

"Ah...This is Weiss Schnee, the crabby girl Ruby bumped into after you ditched her," I told her. "Snowflake this is...the sister of ' _dolt_ '."

Yang's eyes narrowed. " _'Dolt_ '?" she repeated, in a dangerous tone. "Excuse me?"

' _Yeah, I don't think I'll touch that argument_ ,' I mused. Instead, I opted to introduce myself to Pyrrha. "Hi there! I'm Jaune Arc!" I said, grinning.

"Um, hi? Nice to you meet you," Pyrrha replied, sounding a little unsure. Probably because I didn't seem starstruck. "You already know who I am, I guess."

I paused in slight bemusement. It wasn't quite arrogance, but rather resignation. "Well yeah. You're the girl on the cereal boxes," I said, deciding to throw a curve ball. "It's still good manners to introduce yourself."

"Oh, of course! How rude of me," the redhead said, blushing slightly. "Pyrrha Nikos, a pleasure to make your acquaintance. But...Do you really only know me from the cereal boxes?"

"Well...Yeah, I do know about the tournament wins and stuff," I admitted, shrugging slightly. "I just figured you'd be uncomfortable if I brought it up. Like before."

"Oh...You saw that..." Pyrrha tailed off.

"Yeah...I'll try not to be annoying," I offered.

"You're not!" she blurted, before blushing so hard that her face matched the colour of her hair.

Crap, I think I might of just caused Pyrrha to have a crush on me. Not that it was bad in itself as I was attracted to redheads. But compared to Yang, Pyrrha didn't really match up. In my mind, anyway.

' _Oh well. I guess I'll just have to play it by the ear_ ,' I thought. Before I could really respond. Goodwitch's voice came from the public announcement system.

"Would all first year students please make their way to Beacon Cliffs for Initiation," the Deputy Headmistress said, "Again, will all first year students make their way to Beacon Cliffs, immediately."

"That's our cue," I said.

"Alright, that's it! You're dead!" Yang yelled from across the way.

"And that's my cue to prevent my friend from committing murder," I sighed.

"It was nice meeting you!" Pyrrha said, as I strode over to where Yang and Weiss were nearly coming to blows.

"Likewise!" I called out, over my shoulder. Upon reaching Yang, I once more grabbed her by the shoulder, preventing her from potentially harming Weiss.

* * *

As we all stood facing Ozpin and Goodwitch by the cliffs overlooking Emerald Forest, I studiously avoided Yang's red-eyed glare. She hadn't appreciated my efforts to spare Weiss, though I had a feeling it wasn't all that serious. Or at least, I hope it wasn't. My guess was based entirely around the fact that she didn't punch me when she could have. Before I could really go into whether or not Yang would actively seek retribution, Remnant's Wonderful Wizard of Oz started to address us all.

"For years, you have all trained to become warriors," Ozpin began, holding his ever present cup of coffee all the while. "Today, you're abilities will be evaluated in the Emerald Forest."

"Now I'm sure all of you have heard rumours of the assigning of teams," Goodwitch took over. "Well, allow us to put an end to your confusion. Each of you will be given teammates. Today."

Next to me, I heard Ruby groan. Not that I didn't really blame her. Unlike the show, I didn't have plot armour...Or maybe I did, if this is all just another of my alternate self's fanfictions. I should probably put an end to that line of thought. Quantum physics give me a headache. Anyway, without that plot armour, I had doubts that RWBY and JNPR would form as they should. I could only hope for the best.

"These teammates will be with you for the rest of your time as students of Beacon," Ozpin continued. "So it is well within your own interests to find a partner whom you would work well with.

"That being said, the first person you make eye contact with, after landing, is to become your partner for the next four years," the Immortal Headmaster added.

I could have been wrong, but it looked as if Ruby's mind had just broke. The vacant stare she wore didn't really help to change my opinion.

"After you've partnered up, make your way to the temple in the northern end of the forest, where you shall collect a relic between the two of you," Ozpin went on. "There will be opposition, so do not hesitate to destroy whatever ends up in your path. Or you will die."

Inwardly, I had to sigh. While I understood that to become a huntsman was trial by fire, the air of nonchalance that Ozpin affect was extremely grating. And though I knew that he genuinely cared for the lives of his students, it was difficult to accept that in face of his aloofness.

"You will be monitored, and your progress graded for the duration of your Initiation. But you will receive no assistance from the instructors" the wizard warned, pausing to sip from his mug. "Once you have obtained your relic, you and your partner will return to the cliffs where you shall receive your grade. Now, are there any questions?"

There were none. Instead, my fellow students and I were simply stewing in apprehension. The landing strategy worried me, or rather my lack of one. Yang had her gauntlets, Ruby and Weiss their respective Semblances, and Blake was a ninja-cat. And for the life of me, I couldn't remember what Ren did. I could only really hope that I had left enough of an impression of Pyrrha to bail my arse.

"None? Good, now take your positions," Ozpin ordered, to which we all complied.

' _Oh, this is not a good day_ ,' I grumbled. I was tense. I had already taken Crocea Mors out, though I really had no clue what I was going to do with it. It was fast approaching my turn, and every fibre of my being was being focused on stopping myself from running away. Yang went. Then Ruby. And finally...

"I REGRET EVERYTHIIIIING!" I yelled, upon being catapulted into the air.

I barely had any chance to register Weiss use her Glyphs, Ruby gain leverage with Crescent Rose, and Yang soar in the air with Ember Celica. Without so much as a warning, my hood was snagged, and my trajectory changed. Before long, my back smacked against the trunk of a tree, as I hung from Pyrrha's rocket-spear-rifle-thing. I never could pronounce the name. It seemed that I had Fate to thank for my landing strategy. Or maybe Other Me, who knew?

It must have been a several minutes before the Invincible Girl came to reclaim her spear. Strangely, Weiss didn't show up to ignore me. Which may have consequences, particularly if she met Pyrrha first. Fortunately, I worried for nought, as the beautiful redhead made her appearance.

"Nice aim," I deadpanned, smiling a little to take the sting from my words.

"Thanks, and um...Sorry?" Pyrrha had a look that mixed shyness and apologetic in one. Not I blamed her. Her interpersonal skills need a bit of work.

"Why are you apologising?" I asked, quirking an eyebrow. "Far as I see it, you saved me a fair bit of pain from the landing. All I really lost was a bit of pride. But...Could you let me down?"

"Oh! Sorry!" Pyrrha once again apologised as she jumped up to remove her weapon.

' _Not using her Semblance_?' I noted, filing that piece of information for later.

"So...Partners?" I prompted, holding out a hand.

"Partners!" the redhead agreed, offering her own. We shook before I realised something. I had no clue which way was north, and the Scrolls didn't have a compass app. Weird. Or maybe they did, and Beacon sent some wide-area signal to deactivate that particular function. Who knew?

"So, which way?" I asked, patting the dust from my trousers.

"This way," Pyrrha pointed. While she tried to hide it, I did manage to catch sight of a slight glow around her hand.

' _Ah. Her Semblance_ ,' I realised. It was basically an innate compass, if I thought about it. ' _I wonder if she's capable of the crap Magneto could pull? Talk about OP_?'

As we headed in the direction that Pyrrha led us, I heard signs of battle throughout the forest.

"Gunfire," the redhead noted, catching my eye. "It would seem some of our comrades have encountered the enemy."

I blinked at the slight formalness of Pyrrha's voice, but decided against commenting on it. There wasn't any need to bring up her lack of social skills. Not that I held that against her. It must have been difficult being placed on a pedestal she had no wish to be on. Not to mention lonely.

"Should we go help?" I asked.

"I don't think that it would be necessary. They should have it well in hand," Pyrrha replied.

I shrugged and continued to follow the redhead deeper into the forest. Eventually, we came across a cave, with some cave paintings next to the entrance. Said painting depicted several men fighting what appeared to be a giant scorpion.

"I think we should avoid this," I suggested. "It doesn't really look like a temple."

"But what if we have to go through the cave to get to the temple?" Pyrrha reasoned. "There's no other way we can go."

"Um..." I didn't really have a reply to that logic. Had I not known the truth, that argument would have been enough to sway me. "I dunno, Pyrrha. That cave painting worries me," I said. "Could that be a type of Grimm?"

Pyrrha took a closer look at the painting and hummed. "It could be," she admitted. "I think it might depict a Death Stalker," she added, to which I sighed quietly in relief. However, her next words soured my nascent good mood. "But why would there be a Death Stalker this close to Beacon?" she asked, rhetorically. "The Emerald Woods are only known for having Beowolves and Ursai. And maybe the occasional King Taijitu. And besides, this cave is too small to fit a Death Stalker."

' _Ah crap_!' I thought. ' _I have no argument to that_!'

"Alright then, "I relented. "Lay on."

"What?"

"Lead on!" I hastily corrected. MacBeth wasn't a thing here.

Pyrrha had a slight nonplussed look, but entered the cave nevertheless. I sighed and followed. Hopefully we wouldn't die. Hell, maybe the Death Stalker wasn't home! Using a fallen branch, I had managed to light a fire to make a torch, giving us some light.

"Are you _sure_ this is the way?" I tried again, hoping that Pyrrha would be open to reason.

"This way is north, Jaune," Pyrrha replied, keeping her rifle up. "Unless we circle around, this is the fastest way."

"Alright..."

The further we delved into the cave, the warmer it got. From what I could remember this preluded the moment Jaune had found the glowing stinger. Realising that I was about to experience my first moment of combat, I steeled myself.

"Do you feel that?" Pyrrha asked.

"The warmth?" I asked back.

"Yes...Maybe we're close."

' _To near-certain death, perhaps_ ,' I thought, rather morbidly.

As much as I tried to keep composed, I couldn't help but shiver ever so slightly. Where Jaune was brought up in the crapsack world that was Remnant, I came from a relatively more peaceful place. What if I couldn't stop the Death Stalker? What if the rest of JNPR died with me? What if RWBY died because they had to fight both the Death Stalker and the Nevermore? What if without Ruby's silver eyes, Beacon was destroyed by the Grimm Dragon?! What if-

 _CLINK CLINK CLICK_

The sound of a clicking noise distracted me from my internal panic. It was the sort of noise that could only be made by two sharp items contacting each other. Like a pincer. Shakily, I held up the torch to the source of the sound. Only to find myself staring at a white mask...With six red eyes.

I swallowed. "I think we should run," I said, my voice strangely calm.

"Yes," Pyrrha agreed, also speaking in a remarkably serene tone. "That sounds like an excellent idea."

Needing no further encouragement, though the terrifying screech from the Grimm did aid in that, we ran. Upon exiting the cave, I pulled Pyrrha east. At least, where I thought east was. Behind us, the Death Stalker smashed through the rocks and screeched once more, this time even louder.

"Bad day, bad day, bad day, bad day!" I yelled, not even pausing to look back. "This is a _very_ bad day!"

"I'm sorry!" Pyrrha apologised.

I prayed to whatever luck deity existed, because it became quite apparent that the Death Stalker was more than capable of keeping up with us. Hell, it even had the distinct advantage of not needing to avoid any obstacles like we did, as it could just bulldoze its way through.

Unfortunately, the deities weren't answering my prayers, as the Death Stalker leapt forward and sent us both flying hard and far. Straight towards the temple. And where Pyrrha landed with the grace of an Amazonian, I, however, ended up straight into a broken pillar.

"Ow..." I groaned, picking myself up from the floor.

"Jaune!" the voice of Ruby cried out. "Are you okay!"

Not really registering why Ruby was here and not where I recalled she was supposed to be, I replied, "Yeah...My pride is just a little bruised."

Taking the hand that Ruby offered, I got up. It was only then that I registered who Ruby was with.

"Blake?" I spluttered. This wasn't supposed to happen. Blake was meant to be _Yang's_ partner. ' _Crap, what else has changed_?'

The answer soon came in the form of a loud yell from above.

"HEADS UP!" Yang shouted.

Barely registering the warning, I held out my arms and caught her, almost dislocating my arms in the process.

"Nice of you to drop in," I remarked, lopsidedly smirking.

"Oh, shut up," Yang said, rolling her eyes and getting to her feet. "Only I can make puns like that."

"Uh huh? What were you doing up there, anyway?" I asked.

"Oh...Me and Weissicle got tangled with a Nevermore," Yang explained.

' _That just raised more questions_ ,' I inwardly deadpanned. Then again, it sort of made sense. Because of my intervention, Ruby and Weiss didn't nearly have as bad a first start as they did in canon. If anything, my actions had made _Yang_ and Weiss have a bad start. And with Blake and Ruby here, it stood to reason that Yang had met Weiss instead. Assuming, of course, that Ren and Nora became partners as in canon.

"Hey! Ruby!" the blonde called out, spotting her

"Yang!" Ruby responded, opening her arms for a hug.

"Nora!"

' _What the fuck_?!' I jumped in surprise. ' _How the hell did she sneak up on us? She's way to loud to go unnoticed_?'

My patience had snapped. "Alright! Everyone shut the hell up!" I yelled, much to the surprise of everyone, including Ren who had just arrived. Not that I blamed them. This was pretty uncharacteristic of me. "Ruby and Blake stand over there and take one of the golden knight pieces. Ren and Nora, a golden castle piece, if you please. Pyrrha and I will take the other golden castle. And Yang! Where is your partner? Where? Is? Weiss?"

"Um..." Yang pointed up, and I followed her finger.

' _Of course...I don't know why I expected anything else_.'

Way up in the sky above us was Weiss, hanging from the talons of a Nevermore. Evidently, it was simply a case of swapping the sisters. Which wasn't _as_ bad as I thought. I would have to play the crap Team RWBY got into by the ear, in case the swapping of partners changed things far past my ability to control. Beyond Jaune's growth, JNPR didn't have much to do in Volumes 1 and 2. Something which I planned to change. But that was all in the future. For now, though. I had to survive Initiation.

"I told you to jump!" Yang called out.

"She's gonna fall," Blake commented, not really sounding bothered.

"Pfft, her Semblance will save her," I said, instead keeping an eye out for the Death Stalker.

"She's falling," Ren pointed out. Only for Weiss to gracefully land via her Glyphs.

"Like I said. Semblance."

 _CRASH_

' _And now the Death Stalker is here_ ,' I lamented.

"Great, the gang's all here, and we have two giant Grimm with us," Yang faux cheerfully commented. "Now we can all die together."

"Not if I ca-GRK!

"Ruby, please don't run after the Grimm by yourself," I said. Once I saw what the youngest of us was about to do, I hastily grabbed her hood. Though I immediately let go, lest I accidentally choked her. "Our objective is to get the relics and book it back to the cliffs."

Ruby blinked owlishly up at me, while massaging her throat a bit. She nodded in understanding though.

"Right...Sorry," she said, looking contrite. "Yang, grab a relic and lets go."

"Sure thing, little sister," Yang nodded, and swiftly grabbed a knight piece.

By this point, the Nevermore was circling back towards us, as the Death Stalker quickly homed in on us. Quickly calculating the distance between us and the bridge across the ravine to the cliffs, I had to curse.

"Okay, I was wrong!" I yelled to the rest of the group. "We may have to kill the Grimm to get to safety!"

Nobody responded, not that I was really expecting an answer, as we all reached the bridge. However, the Nevermore had taken roost on a ruined tower on the other side, loudly cawing in challenging manner. Behind them, the Death Stalker had torn through the forest and was bearing down on them. They were trapped. While Nora, Ren, Pyrrha and eye took cover to the left, RWBY hid over to the right.

"Ruby! Yang! Take Blake and Weiss, and deal with the Nevermore!" I called out. "We'll take care of the Death Stalker!"

"Right!" the sisters both nodded, and exchanged glances with their respective partners.

"Do you have a plan?" Ren asked.

"...I have part of a plan," I admitted, still a bit unsure.

"Oh? What percentage do you have, Jaune-Jaune?" Nora asked, looking more than a bit eager at the prospect of a fight.

"Um...Twelve percent?" I hesitantly replied.

"That is not a plan," Ren deadpanned.

"It's not even a concept," Pyrrha added.

"Wait...You're supposed to be my partner! Not Ren's!" I objected, put out.

"Yeah! Ren's _my_ partner!" Nora added, looking outraged.

"Um...Sorry?"

"Good!" Nora nodded, folding her. "Anyway, twelve is better than eleven, so there."

"Nora...Never mind."

I wasn't really sure what that had to do with anything, but I suppose anything was possible in the mind of Nora Valkyrie. Anyway, I did have a plan. I just wasn't sure of own part in it.

"Alright, look! Here's the plan," I said, putting on what I hoped was my game face. "The area around the stinger is unprotected by the Death Stalker's armour plating. Ren, while me and Pyrrha keep the claws occupied, you try to loosen it up. Once you've done that, Pyrrha, try to knock the stinger off in a way that it will land on the Grimm's head. I'll then boost Nora, who can use her hammer to smash the stinger deep into its skull. Got that?"

My plan was met with various responses in affirmation. I would need to work on my tactical skills. Relying on knowledge from the show would only take me so far. And there was a good chance I'd forget the specifics.

"Alright, the Death Stalker is here," I said, as the scorpion-shaped Grimm fast approached. I had no time to see if RWBY were ready, as we made our move. All we needed now was for Red Like Roses Part II to play as background music and we'd be set. Steeling myself, I drew Crocea Mors. "Break!" I shouted, as I led Pyrrha towards our target.

When the Death Stalker swiped at us, Pyrrha brought her shield to bare and pushed back with enough force to make the Grimm stumble. With a degree of teamwork I hadn't anticipated, Pyrrha and I would interchange between blocking with our shields, and striking it with our swords. Meanwhile, Ren ran at the Death Stalker while we had it distracted, and managed to jump onto the Grimm's tail after neatly dodging an errant strike from its stinger. As planned, Ren fired his guns at the root of the stinger, causing the Death Stalker to screech in pain.

"Wo-Ah!" Ren yelled, and was thrown off the tail before colliding with a nearby pillar and landing on the ground in a heap.

"Ren!" Nora cried out, but I didn't have time to see if he was alright. Instead, I turned to Pyrrha.

"Now!" I ordered.

"Done," she said, complying. Masterfully throwing her shield, with aid from her Semblance, the redhead managed to knock the stinger off, which then landed on the Death Stalker's head as planned.

"Nora, now!" I yelled, bringing my shield up. The girl nodded, and fired herself into the air. I wasn't quite prepared for the force, and ended up flat on my arse. Much to my embarrassment. Fortunately, I didn't miss Nora's majestic hammer strike, which slammed the stinger, and by extension the Grimm, into the ground. And thanks to my forward thinking, the fight did _not_ take place on the bridge, which meant that I didn't have to suffer the ignominy of being thrown into the air by way of lever physics.

"CAAAAAW!" the cry of the Nevermore caught my attention as I turned around. It was just in time too, as I was treated to the glorious sight of Ruby soaring through the air and subsequently running up the cliff and decapitating the Nevermore.

"So cool," I uttered under my breath. The adrenaline in my body wore out, and I sat down, exhausted. I had survived. _We_ had survived. And while it was only the beginning, it was still a good start.

* * *

Initiation was over. The majority of the students had made it through, though some hadn't. Fortunately, no one had died, so there was something of a silver-lining. Anyway, once we were picked up by Beacon's VTOLs and after we freshened up somewhat, the students were all gathered back in the ballroom, where Ozpin was allocating teams.

"Russel Thrush, Cardin Winchester, Dove Bronzewing, and Sky Lark," the headmaster listed. "The four of your retrieved the black bishop pieces. You shall henceforth work together as Team CRDL, lead by Cardin Winchester."

Polite applause echoed through the hall, as it was JNPR's turn to approach the stage. At least, I hoped it was still JNPR. I couldn't really think of any other colour combination that our team could have made.

"Jaune Arc, Lie Ren, Pyrrha Nikos, and Nora Valkyrie," Ozpin began. "The four of you retrieved the while rook pieces. From this day forward, you shall work together as Team JNPR." Nora immediately hugged Ren, as I blinked at the clearly golden pieces being referred to as white. "Led by Jaune Arc," the headmaster added, which earned me a beaming grin from my partner.

We then headed off the stage to allow Ruby and company to replace us. Ruby offered my a congratulatory grin as we passed.

"And finally; Ruby Rose, Blake Belladonna, Weiss Schnee, and Yang Xiao Long," Ozpin said. "With your retrival of the white knight pieces, you shall work together as Team RWBY. Led by Ruby Rose."

Ruby looked surprised by that announcement, but Weiss' reaction forced me to stifle a snort of laughter. The only word that could suitably describe her was poleaxed. And while I had some plans to try and fix her of her snootiness, I put them to the back of my mind, as I simply enjoyed the moment. Though, my good mood dimmed somewhat upon making eye-contact with Ozpin. Evidently, he wanted to meet with me. And soon.

* * *

 **Author Note** : So, I'll try for weekly updates, and keep chapters relatively short, but it might not necessarily be that regular.

Well, this is Initiation. As you can see, nothing changed for JNPR. Considering that SI!Me is still a noob at combat, I didn't really want to have him/me try anything fancy when the plan in canon worked to a tee. Things will be changing now, though. Especially events at Forever Fall and at the docks with the White Fang.

As for the new partners among Team RWBY, well...That's just my Shipping bias showing. Sort off. Anyway, I'm done here, so I hope you enjoyed! Follow, favourite, and review as always!


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